For the world's 1.4 billion Catholics, it was the election of a lifetime, the end of an era and the dawn of a new age for the Roman Catholic Church.
Robert Francis Prevost from Chicago, Illinois on Thursday became Pope Leo XIV, the 257th pope and the first American ever elected to the papacy.
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It's a remarkable first for the Roman Catholic Church, which has a history going back nearly 2,000 years. After white smoke billowed out of the the Sistine Chapel, signifying that the Cardinals had elected the new leader of the Roman Catholic Church, the new pope appeared to bless the faithful gathered at St. Peter's Square.
In this special coverage, Scripps News delves into the history and career of the new pope and the challenges and concerns he will now face as leader of the Catholic Church.
